Visa Screen Certificate / CGFNS

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Visa Screen Certificate is required by all foreign nurses wishing to obtain a green card to work in the US, as well as any type of temporary work permit, such as the Nafta TN Visa for those from Canada and Mexico.

It requires that you pass either the NCLEX-RN or the CGFNS exam, as well as the series of English exams if you are not exempt from them.

The CGFNS exam is only required now in about five states, and rumor is that one or two will be removed from that remaining list as well. Do not bother with that exam if you are not going to work in a state that does not require it, or you have no way to be able to take the NCLEX exam from where you are currently located.

The application for the VSC is now only good for one year.........please do not apply for it until you have passed at least one of the required exams, or you may need to pay an additional fee.

(This thread is replacing the original thread that was from more than 2 and 1/2 years ago, and has updated information.)

Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

You do not need a VSC if you are married to a US citizen. VSC is only required if you are the main applicant to a immigrant visa, married to a USC puts you into a different category. Will post a link later that you need to look at

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Hellow fellow nurses, this is my first time to post in this forum and I find it very very helpful and very informative. by the way, I already passed my Nclex in 2007 and I already passed my cgfns too in 2005 and got my cgfns certificate through toiec exam. My question is eventhough I still not pass my speaking and written exam can I already apply for a visa screen?? Please help me on this. Because I am now starting to ready all the documents that are needed for the visa screen.

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Thank u, silverdragon, will be waiting for the link!

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If I do not renew my VSC and I go to the US with my husband, how will I be able to work there? How will I prove my educational background? CA board will only keep my NCLEX results, I did not provide SSN and no license was issued.

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Hello all, I am a canadian citizen and passed NCLEX but living in US on H4 visa so my question is do I have to go through this CGFNS? I mean I am so lost don't know what to do next after passing NCLEX. I failed CRNE 3 times and can't work in Canada as a RN so wrote NCLEX and passed hoping I will soon be working but it isn't easy..so please someone help me. any information is appreciated.

Any recruiter ready to hire new graduate because they all need experienced one..:(

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

You have to meet state requirements regardless on whether you are in the US or not if you trained outside the US and have to meet state requirements to be a RN. If you are the main applicant for a work visa then you are required to get VSC. The issues is going to be finding a employer willing to go through the process of providing you what is required depending on the route you plan on taking. If TN then employer will have to provide letter of employment and you will have to leave the country and re enter to obtain it

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Specializes in OR.

Alright, I am attempting to navigate this process.

I'm at a cross roads (at the first step already) at getting the CGFSN forms filled out by my University, they said all they can do is send my transcripts to them, as they don't fill out third party forms. I called CGFSN and they said no that's not good enough they need some information about hours spent at certain courses/experience.

Has anyone just got their official transcripts sent to CGFSN and not their specific forms?

I have BScN from the University of Victoria in Canada, it's a reputable program. Trying to correlate different agencies to play by each others rules is going to be near impossible I think, my charm only works so much.

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You have to send the cgfsn paperwork to your school. They fill it out and send it along with your official transcripts to cgfsn. From what I understand that's the only way to do it.

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i am scheduled for interview at the embassy this coming may 23 but i do not have any visa screen certificate in my possession. can i be granted an immigrant visa without any VSC?

another thing is that i waited for eight years for my visa application to be approved, and as a result of the past retrogressions, my employer backed out. will it be beneficial to me if i would tell the truth about my employer? i even asked a friend to give me some kind of affidavit of support just to anticipate further delays...i'm at a loss...and overly stressed!!! hope you could give some insights regarding this. thanks.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
i am scheduled for interview at the embassy this coming may 23 but i do not have any visa screen certificate in my possession. can i be granted an immigrant visa without any VSC?

another thing is that i waited for eight years for my visa application to be approved, and as a result of the past retrogressions, my employer backed out. will it be beneficial to me if i would tell the truth about my employer? i even asked a friend to give me some kind of affidavit of support just to anticipate further delays...i'm at a loss...and overly stressed!!! hope you could give some insights regarding this. thanks.

VSC is a requirement and also paperwork from your employer is required for your interview, no employer means no job means no GC will be issued

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Hi everyone,

I am a young French register nurse graduated 1.5 year ago, and after lives 13 months in the US as an aupair, I'd like to come back there as a nurse.

I am looking all thru the requirements, and sart to study for the different exams, but I am not quite sure of the order of the things and if I understand properly.

I'd like to work in Virginia, and the board of nursing told me I have pass by the CGFNS first. So I have to do the CES. But my questions are:

- do I start the CES and then I'll be able to take the NCLEX RN, and then the visacreen?

- or the CES and the visascreen and when I am approved for the CES the NCLEX?

- do you absolutely need the visascreen to get a visa? Is the waiting that long in every countries? Because I knew it'll be long but not so mnay years.

I am kinda really confused, and want to do the things right.

Thank you for your help

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

Visa screen is not required until after you have passed NCLEX. VSC is required if you are the main applicant but suggest you wait until your priority date is coming up as they expire after 5 years and with current processing dates you are looking at a 6 year plus wait for immigrant visa

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